The Dragon Returns
by Zire-7
Summary: Twelve years she's avoided returning home for several good reasons but she'd been invited back home by her family. A family that never bothered to care about her. Will sparks fly or has the dragon been tamed? X-mas ficlet.


**The Dragon Returns**

**I don't own ATLA or its characters. I own only the plots/ideas/situations that I have placed them in. I own Lily, Rune, and Tank they are my creations. This is modern ATLA and its a dysfunctional family X-mas ficlet. I have no plans to continue this. Merry Christmas everyone and Happy holidays to the folks who don't celebrate X-mas. **

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The Anzünden estate shone like a beacon in the distance as they drove closer to the gates. The structure's every facet was covered with Christmas lights; red, orange, yellow, grey, black, gold, silver, and white lights had been carefully woven across the house making it look as if someone had set it aflame. The higher someone directed their gaze the more grey, silver, and gold lights prevailed. At about three and a half feet you saw the red, orange, and yellow lights strewn together and flickering on and off at regular intervals. The black and white lights covered the area beneath the flames and gave the impression of ashes.

As the car past the gates a heavy tension settled around the driver despite it being another fifteen miles to the house itself. It wasn't the house that bothered her, it was the people waiting for her in it that made her want to flip a bitch and get the hell out of there. But she doubted the security guards at the gate would let her leave, at least not before her family saw her. Her girlfriend in the passenger's seat felt the tension rolling off of her firebender. "Nervous?"

Without taking her eyes of the winding road she racked her brain for some possible explanation or a plausible lie to speak that she'd believe. But the firebender quickly accepted the futility. "I ran away from home when I was fifteen after I escaped Crescent Isles that my parents sent me to when they found out I was dating a girl and not to mention I'd rejected the arranged marriage with that sleaze ball Chan. Now twelve years later I return and Agni only knows why, driving my family into a literal dragons den. What's there to be nervous about?"

She slowly reached for and captured the firebender's hand giving it a gentle squeeze. "I have a good feeling about this. They wouldn't have hired that Sokka guy to track you down with an invitation to spend the holidays with them if they didn't want you here…"

"If they didn't want us here." She amended after a brief moment and felt Azula's tension fade slightly. "If they try anything those Christmas lights won't be necessary."

She started giggling but after a minute or so she gave up and laughed whole heartedly at the threat.

"Did mom threaten to set something on fire again?" the groggily asked question sounded in her ear and she nodded in answer, still laughing. "Can I help her do it this time?"

Her laughter died down at that and she turned to pin Lil with her gaze, "She's likely gotten you several gifts that you can set on fire this year."

"Pleeeeeeease!" Lily whined from her seat and whenever she used that tone one of her parent's would cave in seconds, especially when she drew out the 'plea' part like she had.

"Normally I wouldn't encourage this behavior of yours but this is an exception however we have to wait and see if they bring it onto themselves first, Lil." Seemingly satisfied for now Lily gazed out her window hoping to see a dragon or two. "Are we there yet?"

"Almost little dragons another five miles or so." Her reply was met with mumbling and grumbling until both Rune and Tank realized what she said, "Ma stop calling us that."

"Hmm…nope I don't think I will whether you two are seventeen or seven you'll always be my little dragons. Isn't that right Firefly?" the firebender blushed only slightly at that and, "Once Lil and I have burned the house down. You two can help me hunt down my ex-girlfriend and do something very unpleasant to her. We will call it a late Christmas present."

After the mirth died down the car's inhabitants fell silent as they reached the house. A very old friend of Azula's was waiting for them as she rolled to a stop. "We're here everybody out."

As they exited the car Rune and Tank shot off to go explore the snow covered and fenced in yard. Both parents groaned and shouted in unison, "Try not to cause an avalanche."

Lily shook her head at her knuckle headed brothers and opted to study the woman standing a couple feet off from the car. The hood of the cloak she wore obscured her face and in the fading light she couldn't see much else of the tall woman. "You never seemed the settle down and have children type, Azula."

She winched and took a couple steps back from the woman as she had addressed her mother. Her tone was as sharp as a knife and it cut like one too. _This is going to be ugly and messy. _

A few seconds later and her predictions were correct. "Why should I have bothered to come back here? Why risk getting sent back because of you again? I'd like to see you try getting locked up underground and denied sun light for weeks on end. Oh and let's not forget the corrective behavior therapy for my 'unnatural desires'. It's a miracle I wasn't dead after three months because every time I said or acted the wrong way they sent me to an ice box for two weeks straight."

Each word landed like a physical blow to the woman's body and she seemed shocked by the information she'd received. "I-I never would have said anything to them if I'd known. I had no idea they'd torture you there, there is no explanation for what I did."

"Bullshit. That is utter bullshit and you know it. Zuko probably bitched about how I got all the attention and he ended up getting punished for all my supposed misdeeds. And you needed a way to get him away from Katara and the one time I put my trust in you and you…you…you…go and…tell them…about…about…Toph…" Something inside the firebender had broken as she unloaded on her friend or maybe it had always been broken, she'd just been running from it for twelve years. Ty Lee had watch on in silence allowing the two to go back and forth but as the tears started falling she rushed to her firebender and pulled her close.

"You, whoever the hell you are, can show Lily where her room is. Zula doesn't need your empty apologies or your condescending pity. Get out of my sight before I kick your ass." The woman saw a harsh glint in the athlete's grey eyes, she'd watched the Olympics' the year before and didn't doubt she could do exactly what she was threatening to do. She left swiftly and Lily had to run to catch up with her as Lily did so she mouthed back, 'Can I set her cloths on fire? She's practically begging for it.'

Ty shook her head and mouthed, 'No but you can torch that awful cloak she's wearing after she takes it off.'

Lil's victory dance made her giggle and prompted a shaky, "What's so funny?"

"That eyesore of a cloak of hers is going to spontaneously combust sometime between now and tomorrow morning; one hell of start to the festivities if you ask me." They both laughed at that and headed inside, hoping this wasn't the tip of the ice burg of the family issues.

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**The next morning…  
**

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"So I take it your wife isn't a morning person then?"

The firebender remained silent simply staring into her tea mug. Last night she'd slept horribly as her on again off again nightmares came back and with them brought Dr. Linemen, her self-appointed torturer at Crescent Isles. She heard a frustrated sigh come from the other side of the table. "Azula you're going to have to talk to me eventually why not start now?"

"How could you just let him toss me in there like a piece of garbage? Or were you too busy mollycoddling your precious Zuzu to bother pretending like you care about me? Oh and you probably still think I'm responsible for Zuzu's pretty face. I don't know why I even wasted my time coming here; none of you ever cared about me in the first place and surprise, surprise, you still don't care. How's that for a start, Ursa?" She spat at the other woman who hadn't ever been a mother to the firebender.

"Don't you dare speak to mother that way." He snarled getting right up into her face and exhaling sparks out of the corner of his mouth. In an instant he'd been flung into the nearest wall; one hand was nearly crushing his throat and the other holding a ball of dancing blue flames an inch above the eye without a scar. "_That_ woman was never a mother to me. So I will speak to her anyway I please and you will not lecture me or I will give you a scar to match the one Ozai gave you."

Giving his throat a particularly painful squeeze she let him go and retook her previously abandoned seat taking a sip of her now perfectly cooled off tea. "Mai a little help would have been appreciated."

"Anthony's tale." Her lack luster tone smacked him in the face and he had the decency to be ashamed of his foolishness. _Tickle a dragon in its sleep and it's likely to incinerate you. _

"I'm surprised your kids aren't as messed up as you are." He said despite already getting a needling from his sister and then his wife.

"It was actually quite simple to be a fantastic mother to Lily, Rune, and Tank. I refrained from following Ursa's approach to rearing children by loving them for who they are no matter what. Rune's boyfriend is quite charming but of course I did threaten to beat him up if he broke my son's heart." Her retort shocked him and he couldn't help but bite back, "Something he got from you no doubt."

"Sorry that there is my fault and identical twins run in my family. If he gets it from anyone he gets if from me after all only I could fall for someone as crazy as Zula." Rather than seeing Azula spitting blue fire, like she had been all morning for thoughtless remarks, at the athlete they were surprised by the genuine smile she flashed to her. "Good morning I'm sorry for keeping you up for half the night."

"It's not your fault you have nightmares. Blame the pathetic excuse of your family around this table for those and thus it is only fair that I blame them for every lousy night of sleep I've ever gotten since I met you." She said making the aforementioned family feel even worse. The tension in the air grew heavier as the silence wore on. The silence seemed endless to the occupants of the room at least until one soul was brave enough to break it.

"Azula we deserve your animosity every last ounce of it but I didn't invite you here to tear open old wounds. I've been fighting a disease that I contracted a couple years ago and well I can feel my body failing more and more every day. I wanted to see my grandchildren and to inform you that you'll need to settle your affairs and return to the sanctuary in the next 3 years or so." The firebender had figured it was something like this which is part of why she came. She didn't wait long as her mother continued, "After Ozai was murdered I realized I overreacted to your relationship with Toph. I deeply regret the last twelve years, oh what I wouldn't give to have that time back. I'm not looking to make up for lost time. I'm only asking for some good memories to hold close until the end."

"That's all you're getting for Christmas from me, mother." She said and with a hint of mischievousness in her eyes she set the hideous outfit her brother was wearing on fire. When he'd managed to put out his clothes he smiled at her ruefully, "I see you haven't kicked the habit yet."

As the room burst into laughter a faint smile tugged at the corners of the dying woman's mouth and she was suddenly looking forward to the coming holiday.

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**The End**


End file.
